Mick Schumacher has revealed he creates his own race to stay motivated at the back of the grid with Haas this season.
With the American outfit putting all their focus on the 2022 regulations, the Formula 2 champion was always expected to have a lowly first year in Formula 1 and has finishing no higher than 16th in the first four races so far.
Schumacher admits that shift from a championship duel last year to backmarker this year has been far from easy, but explained how he pushes himself to give maximum effort.
“I don’t really realise what I’m doing when I’m in the car, let’s say facial expressions wise or feelings wise, I just love driving so I enjoy what I’m doing,” he told Channel 4.
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“But I don’t enjoy it when I’m not first so it’s kind of a torture driving at the back with no real competition.
“Therefore I have to make myself a Grand Prix, so let’s say if I have Nicholas [Latifi] in front of me or [George] Russell, it’s just like for me they are the leaders and I have to catch them.
“That’s the game that I’m playing to always stay motivated, to always keep on pushing and always be 100%.”
Given the anticipation and expectation of having the Schumacher name back in F1, Mick’s inability to challenge higher up the grid due to his car is disappointing.
However, he denies that means he is getting an easy ride, particularly given the scrutiny being placed on Mazepin.
“I don’t feel I’m being overly criticised, but I’m not being handled with kid gloves either,” he said at Portimao.
“At the end of the day, I don’t want to make mistakes but they still happen, especially to us rookies. We are human beings and not machines.
“I have now driven two race weekends, had tests and some time in the car. Now Formula 1 is no longer foreign to me, it’s my new home. Now I can allow myself to go to the limit because I know how the car reacts and how I can catch it.
“But it’s important I get to the limit early, preferably in first or second practice so we can make changes in the third practice. If you’re at 95 per cent all the time in practice and at 100 per cent only in qualifying, but then the rear wheel stops there, it’s too late.”
As for how Schumacher has handled his transition into F1, Haas chief Guenther Steiner is very impressed.
“He is very quiet and very prepared,” he told RTL.
“I’ve never seen him in a panicked mood, never nervous which I think is pretty cool for a 22-year-old. He’s always prepared and works hard. Mick works meticulously, very focused.
“Mick only has one thing in mind which is to have a good first year in F1, even if it’s difficult. He can handle that very well and is very realistic about what is reachable and what is not.
“He always keeps his people motivated, which is not always easy. He’s a professional. It’s like he’s been doing all this for a long time. He prepares everything and leaves nothing to chance.
“Sometimes I don’t even talk to him because he is so intensively involved with his mechanics and engineers. That is much more important. If something is wrong, we talk, but just to talk, I leave him alone at the moment because I see that he is always working.
“I find that remarkable.”